2024 Volume 22 Issue 2 Pages 15-21
The Japan DMORT Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team was established in July 2017. It provides support to bereaved families from the early acute phase at mortuaries under police jurisdiction. In response to the "2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake" that occurred in Ishikawa Prefecture on January 1st of 2024, DMORT was able to begin operations on the fourth day after the disaster, with the approval of the Ishikawa Prefectural Police. DMORT dispatched members to two mortuaries within the affected region, with operations running from January 4th to 14th. Over the 11-day period, 12 members including doctors, nurses, paramedics, and others were involved, with a total of 56 shifts. Since all lifelines were cut off, the team had to operate in a self-sufficient manner. The two mortuaries handled a total of 126 cases, and each group provided support to bereaved families for three days. This decision to limit interactions to three days helped maintain the mental and physical well-being of the support team. Furthermore, good communication between team members was crucial to the operation. Daily defusing sessions were held among the team after each day's activities. Additionally, throughout the operation, online meetings between the two local sites and the backup support teams allowed for information sharing, which provided emotional support for the members.